The disgusting reason why you should always bring your own hairdryer on holiday

In most hotel rooms, the hairdryer carries even more germs that the toilet seat

By Caroline McGuire, Digital Travel Editor

28th July 2017, 1:12 pm

Updated: 28th July 2017, 1:12 pm

HOTEL rooms are cleaned every day by housekeeping, so you’d imagine they would be spotless, but actually they are a hotbed of germs.

One of the worst offenders is a place you’d least expect too – on the humble hairdryer.

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Hair dryers in hotel rooms are often covered in more germs than the toilet seat

In most hotel rooms, the hairdryer has even more germs that the toilet seat.

These days, travellers pack the bare minimum when going on holiday in an effort to avoid fees for checking luggage into the hold of a plane.

That means that they rely on hotels to provide items like hairdryers and irons, instead of bringing their own.

But it turns out that you’d probably be better off bringing your own after all, even if it costs a little extra.

In a past study for ABC, the microbiologist Charles Gerba tested nine hotel rooms across Los Angeles, ranging from three to five stars.

He said: “There must be some things you can do with a hair dryer that I am not aware of because some of them were pretty germy.”

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Guests are better off bringing their own hair dryer when staying at a hotel

It is thought that the problem occurs because cleaners tend to focus on items like the toilet, bath and sink in a hotel bathroom.

Much like light switches and room service menus, the hairdryer is touched by many guest hands but not seen as a dirty item.

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This means that they become increasingly dirty over an extended period of time.

A hair dryer isn't the only extra item to pack when heading off on holiday this summer - experts have also suggested bringing a cheap doorstop when sleeping at a hotel, to stop unwanted intruders from breaking and entering.

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It is thought that the problem occurs because cleaners tend to focus on other areas when cleaning a hotel room

While most hotel rooms doors are fairly secure, even the strongest intruder would struggle to break through a door with a doorstop wedged from the other side.

David Klain, a frequent traveller and aviator revealed that he never goes on holiday without one in his luggage.

Speaking on Quora, he said: “When staying in a hotel, you can put that door stop under the door preventing someone from breaking in, [because] the chain on the door will stop no one.

“In the case of a terrorist attack or lone gunman incident, typically they will go through all rooms.

“But, if they can’t get the door open [they will] move on to other rooms before working their way back to the doors that wouldn’t open.